Award Winning Builders

Gold and Auckland Category Winners, Master Builders House of the Year 2026

Adding to our Master Builders Awards for 2021 and 2023, we’re proud to announce that our Shelly Park Renovation has won Gold and the Category Win for Renovation ($1 million to $2 million) in the Auckland, Northland and Coromandel region at the 2026 Registered Master Builders House of the Year Awards.

The category win goes to the highest-scoring Gold Award entry in the category, so it means a great deal to us. This was an 18-month restoration on a cliff site reachable only by cable car, in a Significant Ecological Area, with the clients living on site throughout. It asked a lot of everyone involved.

Our Shelly Park Renovation has also been selected in the Top 100 for 2026, which takes us through to the national competition. Stay tuned for further news!

MORE ABOUT THE WINNING PROJECT

Here’s what the judges had to say.

Few renovation projects begin with challenges quite like these.

Reached only by cable car or by sea, the site demanded careful planning from the outset, while council character-area rules strictly limited any work beyond the existing building envelope.

GDonaldson Builders embraced those constraints and delivered a vibrant, highly accomplished result. The team clearly understood the value of the quirky and deeply
charming original home, choosing to enhance its character rather than smooth it away.

Complex work has been handled with confidence, allowing the house to feel refreshed and refined while still retaining the personality that made it special.

The finished home is polished, distinctive and deeply cared for, making this a remarkable renovation and a very deserving winner in its category.